Morocco to probe death of woman possibly buried alive

Morocco has launched an inquiry into the death of a young woman whose body was found in a garden in Fez and who may have been buried alive, a police source said.

"She was discovered on May 26 in the garden of the main suspect with whom she was lodging, and who she met on Facebook. The exact circumstances of her death have still not been clarified. An inquiry is underway," the source said.

"Preliminary information indicates that the victim, who was diabetic, fell sick and the main suspect, thinking that she had died buried her in the garden, 10cm under the ground."

There were no traces of violence on the body of the victim, Amina el-Haouari, 25, a French national of Moroccan origin.

Her sister Jamila said Amina had left France with a friend on May 19 to go on holiday in Morocco.

But she did not stay in the hotel room in Fez that she had booked and failed to return as expected late on May 23.

"We called the consulate, the police and the hotel, and then we went there. We are went for the results of the inquiry," her sister said.

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"A man is being questioned for voluntary homicide. The French authorities are in close contact with the Moroccan authorities to determine the exact circumstances," said ministry spokesman Romain Nadal.

According to Moroccan daily Al Massae, an argument may have taken place between the victim and the suspect, who it said comes from a well-known family in Fez.

He panicked when the young woman fell sick, and buried her in the garden, the paper claimed.